Father Christmas' Gift
by Healer Pomfrey
Summary: 'Dear Father Christmas, I know that I'm a freak and not a gud boy. So I know that you won't bring me a presend. But I want to ask you somefing. Can you make my ears better and make me go where my mummy is or send me to someone who doesn't hate me? Please help me, Father Christmas. I promis that I will try to be as gud as possible always. Yours sincerly Harry'. AU! sick!Harry
1. Chapter 1

**Father Christmas' Gift**  
><strong>by Healer Pomfrey<strong>

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.  
>I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.<em>

* * *

><p>Arabella Figg stared at the clock on the mantelpiece in surprise, when the door bell rang on this Christmas Eve. It was almost nine o'clock in the evening. <em>'Maybe something happened with one of the cats,'<em> she thought and swiftly went to open the door, only stare at the scene in front of her in shock.

Six-year-old Harry Potter was standing in the snow, only wearing a T-shirt and much too large trousers, tear-stricken, holding out something to her that she could not make out in the faint light that came through the open door.

"Harry, come in," she said in a soft voice, curious as to what might have brought the child to her that late on Christmas Eve. _'If the Dursleys don't celebrate Christmas Eve, he should be asleep at this time of the evening,'_ she thought, as she ushered the shivering boy into the living room.

She made the child sit on the sofa in the living room and enquired, "What happened, dear?"

HP

Harry hesitantly sat on the edge of the sofa. He had already learned that Mrs. Figg's rules were different from those of the Dursleys and that he was allowed to sit on any chair or sofa in the house. He held out a pile of small pieces of paper to the kind old lady and explained, "I wrote a letter to Father Christmas, but when I asked Aunt Petunia how I could send him the letter, she tore it and threw it into the bin. I just managed to rescue the pieces." He slowly trailed off, looking at the cat lady - as he used to secretly call her - in expectation, before he carefully placed the pieces of paper onto the table like a jigsaw puzzle.

_'I want to send the letter to Father Christmas,'_ he feverishly thought and stared at the pieces on the table. Somehow, he felt safe enough with the cat lady to do freakish things, knowing that she seemed to like him in spite of the fact that he was a freak.

Very slowly, the small pieces began to stuck together until the letter was complete and whole as it was supposed to be in the first place.

"Very well done, Harry," Mrs. Figg commended the boy, before she reached out for the letter and asked in a soft voice, "May I read it?"

"Sure," Harry replied, and a small smile played on his lips as he handed his letter to the cat lady.

_'Dear Father Christmas,  
><em>_I know that I'm a freak and not a gud boy. So I know that you won't bring me a presend. But I want to ask you somefing. Can you make my ears better and make me go where my mummy is or send me to someone who doesn't hate me?  
><em>_Please help me, Father Christmas. I promis that I will try to be as gud as possible always.  
><em>_Yours sincerly  
><em>_Harry'_

Mrs. Figg carefully laid the letter back on the table, giving Harry a sharp look. "What's wrong with your ears, child?" she enquired in a soft voice.

"They hurt and make me sick every other week," Harry admitted in a small voice.

"Do they even hurt now?" Mrs. Figg asked, taking in his flushed cheeks and his still shivering figure in apparent concern.

"A bit," Harry confirmed. "Excuse me, Madame, do you know how I can send my letter to Father Christmas?"

The cat lady smiled. "Yes my dear, I'll see to it that he receives his letter," she promised. "However, first of all, we have to decide what to do with you. Shouldn't you return home quickly and ask your aunt for medicine for your ears?"

"No," Harry replied, darkly. "I'm not allowed medicine, because I'm a freak. And I don't want to return to the Dursleys. I've finished cooking their meals for Christmas, and if I go back there now, they'll lock me into my cupboard until after Christmas."

HP

Arabella could barely understand him, as he spoke in a very small voice. However, she comprehended enough. She rose from her chair in determination and went over to the small boy, carefully extending her hand to feel his forehead that felt hot to the touch.

"Oh Merlin, Harry, you're very warm," she blurted out, shocked. Pondering the situation for a moment, she made a decision.

"Harry, I'm going to keep you here for the time being," she informed the child and led the boy into her guest room, where she made him lie down on the bed and gently tucked him into warm covers. "Go to sleep, Harry," she cooed. "I'll see what I can do to help you."

She remained in the room for a few minutes, gently wiping the boy's face with a wet towel, until she noticed that his breathing evening out, as he drifted off into a slumber of exhaustion.

"All right," she said to herself in determination. She returned to the living room and slightly hesitated in front of the fireplace, wondering whom she should ask for help. Finally, she decided on Poppy Pomfrey, knowing that the healer was bound to her healer's oath and would certainly not talk to anyone about what she was going to confide in her now. She leaned into the fireplace, shouting, "Poppy Pomfrey's office, Hogwarts."

To her relief, the healer replied after a short while and readily came over to listen to Arabella's problem. Arabella showed the witch Harry's letter and informed her about how he had come to her house an hour ago and what he had told her.

"May I have a look at the child?" Pomfrey asked. "Maybe I can do something about his ear problem."

Nodding gratefully, Arabella led the healer into the guest room, watching in growing concern how the witch waved her wand over the child multiple times, muttering to herself in apparent annoyance.

Finally, Poppy slid her wand back into her robe pocket, letting out a long sigh. "Right now, I can only give him a fever reducer and a pain relieving potion," she finally spoke up. "I need Severus to brew an ear salve for me. The problem is, however, that his ear problem seems to result from multiple untreated colds or infections and seems to be chronic. He'll probably get sick every now and then, and I don't know how much his hearing will be affected by the problem. The poor child," Poppy added, compassionately. "If only Albus didn't insist that he had to stay with the Dursleys."

"They're horrible," Arabella agreed, full heartedly. "However, I have some good news, which I really need you to keep to yourself." Seeing that the healer gave her a questioning look, she explained, "A few weeks ago, I met someone whom I believed dead all these years."

"Whom?" Poppy queried in obvious surprise.

"Rose Evans," Arabella informed her.

"Rose is alive?" Poppy blurted out in apparent excitement, looking up in disbelief.

"She told me that she doesn't want anyone to know," Arabella informed her. "I was only lucky to see her. Apparently, she's a shape shifter..."

"Oh right, that's true," Poppy interrupted her, nodding.

"... but on that day, she was ill and wasn't able to keep up her shape shifting abilities, so that she appeared in her real form," Arabella explained. "I asked her if she'd be able to take Harry in if necessary, and she promised that if the need arose she'd do so but thought that it might be inconvenient for Harry, as she is living in hiding. She still doesn't want anyone to know that she's alive."

Poppy stared at the Squib and smile. "Yes, there is the need, and I don't mind if it's secretly. Rose is a Potions Master and a healer, just what Harry needs nearby. We can easily place a charm on the Dursleys that will make believe everyone that Harry was still living there."

"Shall we call Rose here?" Arabella suggested, giving the healer a questioning look.

Poppy agreed, immediately, and a few minutes later, Rose Evans, Lily's and Petunia's younger sister, stepped out of the fireplace.

HP

When Harry woke up in the morning, he realised immediately that his letter had made it to Father Christmas, and that Father Christmas had fulfilled his wishes.

His ears felt much better and barely hurt at all. Moreover, on the edge of the most comfortable bed, in which he had spent the night, the prettiest woman whom he had ever seen was sitting, looking at him with a friendly smile. She had red hair and the same green eyes as Harry, looking exactly how he had always imagined his mummy to look, even if he had never seen a photo of her. She was wearing what seemed to be a long, dark blue one-piece.

"Good morning, Harry," the woman spoke up in a gentle voice. "I'm your Aunt Rose, the younger sister of your mummy and your Aunt Petunia," she introduced herself, causing Harry to hesitantly smile at her, feeling torn between hope and anxiousness.

"In contrary to Aunt Petunia," Aunt Rose continued to speak, "I am a witch like your mummy, while you're a wizard like your daddy was. You're not a freak, but you're magical just like myself, and if you want, I'd like you to come and live with me."

Harry's eyes widened at the news, even if he was much too excited to fully comprehend the information. _'She's a freak like myself and she wants me to live with her,'_ he thought, incredulously. _'That's too good to be true.'_

His eyes widened in surprise, when his aunt pulled a long stick out of her pocket and waved it at him, changing his T-shirt and much too large trousers from Dudley into fitting blue trousers with a red jumper, on which small black cats were moving around, occasionally letting out one or the other meow.

Harry giggled happily, as he followed one of the cats' way with his forefinger. "Thank you Aunt Rose," he said, giving his aunt a genuine smile.

"You're very welcome my boy," Rose replied, holding out a hand towards the child. "Now, shall we wish Mrs. Figg a Happy Christmas and return home?" she suggested. "Today is Christmas Day."

Harry excitedly agreed and hesitantly slid his small hand into his aunt's, ready to allow himself to be taken to his new home, which Father Christmas had chosen for him.

_tbc..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Father Christmas' Gift**  
><strong>by Healer Pomfrey<strong>

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.  
>I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.<em>

* * *

><p>After profusely thanking the cat lady for giving his letter to Father Christmas, Harry obediently held on to his Aunt Rose's arm, so that she could apparate them to his new home.<p>

_'What was that?'_ Harry wondered at the strange movement, as he hurried to get to his feet and took in his surroundings in surprise.

"That was apparition, a magical travel method," Rose informed him, as if she had been able to comprehend his silent question. She made Harry sit on the sofa, knowing that she had to explain some matters to the child.

Harry looked at his new aunt in expectation. _'I'm allowed to sit on the sofa,'_ he thought, amazed, _'just like at the cat lady's place.'_

"Harry," Rose began to speak. "From about the time when you were born, I've been living here in hiding. No one except for Mrs. Figg knows that I'm still alive. I'll explain about the reason when you're older." Seeing that the boy followed her words with apparent interest, she continued, "I'm working as a Potions Mistress and sell my potions to the magical apothecaries. Potions are magical medicine," she added, apparently realising that Harry could not know such a thing.

"I only have this one room," she continued, pointing around the room, "as well as a bathroom and a potions lab. So there's not enough space for the two of us." She let out a small sigh, before she continued in determination. "However, I have the key to your grandparents', my parents', house, and I think that we should move there. The only problem is that it'll be much work to transfer everything including the potions lab there," she added, more to herself than to the boy.

"I can help," Harry offered, smiling. "If you tell me what to do, I'll help."

Rose smiled back at the child. "Thank you Harry. I'm really happy to have you with me now. I'm so sorry. I should have come to get you much earlier, but I thought that you were having a happy childhood with Petunia's family."

Harry shook his head. "Aunt Petunia hates me, because I'm a freak," he explained. "I'm so happy that you're like me."

"You're not a freak, Harry. You're a fine little boy. All right, Harry," Rose said in a firm voice. "Shall we go and visit Granny's and Granddad's house and see if we want to live there?"

"Okay," Harry replied, unsurely, wondering if his granny and granddad were living in that house, too.

HP

Ten minutes later, aunt and nephew explored the Evans' house. In the first floor, there was a large kitchen like that of the Dursleys, then there was a living room with a door leading out into the garden. The garden was not as pretty as Aunt Petunia's, but Harry nevertheless liked it, because it looked so natural and wild.

"We could even plant herbs and other potions ingredients here in the garden," Rose spoke up, more to herself than to the boy.

"I'd like that. I always had to do the garden work so far," Harry replied in a small voice, happy that he would be able to help his nice aunt.

On the second floor, there were four bedrooms and a bathroom, and there was a large attic.

When they explored the attic, Rose remained thoughtful for an instant, before she told Harry, "This is just the right size for a potions lab. I think I'm going to install the lab up here."

"Can I help?" Harry asked in excitement. "I can already cook."

"I'll teach you, so that you'll be able to assist soon," Rose promised, smiling at the eager child. "The question is how long it's going to take me to transfer everything here," she added, thoughtfully. "Maybe we'll need a house-elf."

HP

During the following hour, they continued exploring the house, before Rose decided that she was going to live in her own old room and suggested to Harry to choose a room for himself.

_'Hmm, I like them all,'_ Harry thought, when he remembered that one of the rooms had been Aunt Petunia's, while another one had belonged to his mummy. "I'll take mummy's room," he decided, giving his aunt a questioning look.

"I'd do the same," Rose agreed, pointing out that it was the room right next to her own. "The other two rooms, we'll just use as guest rooms for the time being. Maybe when you're going to attend Hogwarts in a few years' time, you'll have friends come over and stay during the holidays."

Harry eagerly followed his aunt into his new room. _'This is where my mummy lived,'_ he thought, letting his eyes wander around the room with interest.

"Now let's clear out the room and take everything out that you don't want here," Rose suggested and with a flick of her wand cleared the room of everything that was not interesting for a small boy, leaving only the furniture along with a shelf full with books.

"A whole shelf with books!" Harry blurted out in absolute delight, causing Rose to chuckle.

"Yes, Lily loved books," she replied and stepped in front of the bookshelf to choose some titles that could be interesting for a six-year-old boy who was as alert as Harry.

"Hogwarts: A History," Harry deciphered a title, recalling that Rose had mentioned that name earlier. "Excuse me, but what's Hogwarts?" he asked in a small voice, uncertain if it was all right to ask questions.

His aunt's explanation lasted a whole hour, because she ended up telling him everything about her and Lily's days at Hogwarts, making Harry think that he seemed to be allowed to ask questions.

"Now what's your favourite colour, Harry?" Rose suddenly asked, causing the child to stare at her in surprise.

"I don't know," he replied, uncertainly. "Maybe blue."

His surprise turned into disbelief, when Rose waved her wand around the room, decorating his new chamber in different shades of blue.

"This is cool," Harry blurted out in amazement. "Thank you Aunt Rose."

"You're very welcome my boy," Rose replied, gently.

HP

Rose and Harry spent the rest of Christmas day making themselves comfortable in their new home. Under a very excited Harry's eyes, Rose conjured a Christmas tree in the living room, before she transfigured tissues into colourful baubles.

Harry could not see enough. _'She really is a freak like me, but it's too great what she can do,'_ he thought. "Aunt Rose," he hesitantly spoke up. "Can I do such things too?"

Rose smiled at the eager boy. "Yes dear, at Hogwarts, you're going to learn how to do such things. If you're interested, I can even teach you easy charms and spells sooner. We'll see that we get a children's wand for you."

Feeling contented with her first attempt at making a Christmas tree, she apologized to Harry. "I'm sorry that I don't have a Christmas present for you, sweetie. If I had known..."

"But you ARE my Christmas present," Harry interrupted her, smiling happily.

Harry could not believe his luck. He did not only have his own room with a real bed and a fantastic bookshelf, but he was allowed to go into all the other rooms too, sit on the sofa, read books and eat at the kitchen table together with his aunt. _'This was the best Christmas ever, and I'm the happiest boy in the world,'_ he thought, when he slowly drifted to sleep in his new bed, amazed that his aunt had even come into his room and gently tucked him in.

HP

Very early in the morning, Rose and Harry visited Gringotts. Knowing that the goblins were famous for their secrecy, Rose had decided to speak with the goblins, as she had a couple of topics, for which she needed help. She hesitantly addressed one of the goblins at the bank, informing him of their names in a quiet voice.

After a few minutes' wait, another goblin stepped in front of them. "Good morning," he addressed them. "I'm Buckbean, and I will take care of your matters. Please follow me into my office."

Harry listened quietly, when Rose told the goblin how she had taken in Harry and that she wanted to become his guardian in the magical and the Muggle world without alerting anyone in the magical world to the matter. Further, she informed the goblin that she'd like to have a house-elf and asked if the goblins would be able to connect her old Muggle fireplace to the Floo network.

"I understand," Buckbean replied, thoughtfully. "First of all, I wish you to know that we goblins respect our customers' wishes. Therefore, no information will leave this room. Yes, I can make you the boy's guardian in the magical and the Muggle world," he confirmed, while he skimmed a thin folder. "As to the house-elves, I suggest that you visit Potter Manor, one of the houses that Mr. Potter owns. At least a dozen house-elves are waiting for him at Potter Manor, and I'm sure that some of them will be willing to follow you to your residence. If you wish, I'll accompany you there after once going to your house in order to connect the fireplace."

At first, Harry had been afraid of the goblins in the entrance hall, however, by the time Buckbean finished his explanation, Harry realised that he liked the goblin a lot. _'He's very nice,'_ he thought, as he absentmindedly observed how his aunt signed a few parchments.

"I hope that Poppy Pomfrey and Minerva McGonagall won't mind that I made them Harry's godparents," Rose said to Buckbean, as she returned the parchments. "Pomfrey is the only person in the human magical world knowing that I'm alive."

Buckbean gave the young witch a comforting nod and produced an old teapot. "This Portkey will take us to your home, from where we can then use the fireplace," he informed his customers. "Before we leave, I'd like to show you one of Harry's vaults. It's the only one which he'll be able to access at this age even without having his guardian with him."

Buckbean showed Rose and Harry to the vault, explaining that Harry's parents had left enough money for him to last for a lifetime. "Since you're now caring for Harry, you're very welcome to take the money needed for him from his vaults," he explained, sensing that the woman could not possess too much considering that she was living in hiding.

HP

By the end of the day, Rose and Harry had three house-elves living with them in the old Evans' house, who moved everything from her old apartment including the potions lab to their new residence. Their fireplace was connected to the Floo network, and Rose was officially Harry's guardian, although this information was locked at Gringotts and not accessible to magical people who were not already aware of the matter.

"I suggest that you inform the godmothers in case something happens to you," Buckbean suggested to Rose, who nodded her agreement and resolved to inform Poppy, as soon as Harry had gone to bed.

HP

Rose waited patiently until Harry was asleep, before she stepped in front of him, pointing her wand at the boy. "I'm sorry, Harry, but I need to do this," she whispered and cast a spell at him that would prevent him from mentioning her name to anyone who did not know about her anyway. Sighing in relief, she once more waved her wand casting a diagnostic spell at the child. _'He still needs potions,'_ she thought and strode to the attic, happy to see that the elves had already finished transferring the lab including all the ingredients shelves. _'I need to keep a small stock of potions that Harry might need,'_ she resolved and swiftly brewed a children's fever reducer along with a light pain relieving potion and a salve for his ear.

When she spelled a small phial of the two potions into the boy's system, she noticed that the child seemingly relaxed in his sleep, although he did not wake up. The thought _'I really have to get used to having a child all of a sudden'_ played in front of her mind, when she leaned into the fireplace to ask Poppy Pomfrey if she had time to join her.

HP

An instant later, Poppy stepped through the fireplace, looking around with interest.

"This is my parents' house," Rose admitted. "I've decided to live here with Harry. The house-elves have placed a charm on the front side to make it look unused like it was before." She nervously let her right hand run through her long, red hair, before she asked, hesitantly, "I made you and Minerva McGonagall his godparents. Do you believe that Minerva will keep the secret if we inform her?"

Poppy nodded, reassuringly. "Minerva will keep your and Harry's secret, and it'll be good for Harry if two of us know about his situation. Shall I ask her over? I believe that you owe us an explanation, which Minerva would surely appreciate to hear as well."

"All right," Rose hesitantly agreed, wondering if she should tell the two old witches the truth about her motives. _'I will,'_ she finally decided. _'I've nothing to lose, and they're both very trustworthy and won't tell my secret.'_

Both witches listened patiently to what she told them about the reasons for her to leave the magical world. "I wanted nothing to do with the magical world anymore," she admitted. "The only exception are the apothecaries. I have exclusive contracts with the apothecaries at Diagon Alley. They don't know who I am though, because I've been using a fake name."

The old witches remained pensive for a moment, before Minerva was the first to break the silence. "You could have come back after Harry vanquished Voldemort."

Rose shook her head. "No. I was much too hurt that he left me for such a stupid reason. Oh well, it's too late anyway. I'll come back to the magical world now as much as is necessary considering that I'm raising a magical child, however incognito."

"Whatever you do, we'll be here for you," Poppy said, warmly.

"I've often babysat Harry, when he was a baby. If you ever need help or need someone to watch him, contact me," Minerva offered, causing Rose to smile.

"Thank you very much. I'm glad that I made the two of you Harry's godparents," she replied, teary-eyed, before she changed the topic to speak about Harry's schooling and other matters.

"I'm thinking about sending him to the primary school, which is just around the corner, however, only if he likes it," she said, thoughtfully. "He's been called a freak, and I never want him to make that experience ever again. Otherwise, I'm just going to home school him. I intend to teach him potions as well as some matters about the magical world anyway," she suggested, and Poppy and Minerva immediately agreed.

The three witches spent the whole evening speaking about this and that, and Rose was extremely grateful to have the opportunity to get advice from two ladies who were much more acquainted with children's needs than herself.

It was almost midnight when the two witches returned to Hogwarts.

"Consider what we spoke about earlier. Some matters can still be remedied even after a few years," Poppy advised Rose, before she stepped into the fireplace to return to Hogwarts after her best friend.

_tbc..._

_Thank you so much for your kind reviews for the first chapter!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Father Christmas' Gift**  
><strong>by Healer Pomfrey<strong>

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.  
>I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.<em>

* * *

><p><em>A.N.: <em>To the readers who don't know me yet: If you wish for a story, in which Sirius Black or Ron Weasley play a role, plesae stop reading this one. You'd only be disappointed.<em>_

* * *

><p>In the morning, Rose changed her hair colour black and her eyes blue, smirking at the boy, who was observing her in amusement, before she took Harry through the Floo to Diagon Alley to buy proper clothes as well as a children's wand for the child.<p>

"What do you like better, Harry? Apparition or the Floo?" she asked the child, when they walked through the shopping street, looking into the show windows on both sides of the road.

Harry frowned, unsure how to reply, as he did not overly like either travel method. "I don't know," he finally replied in a small voice.

Rose gave him a sharp look. "Are you feeling all right, Harry?" she asked in apparent concern. Seeing Harry nod, she added, "If you ever don't feel well after apparating or taking the floo or just in general of course, please tell me immediately."

"All right," Harry replied, giving his aunt a comforting smile in spite of knowing that he'd never complain if he could avoid it.

HP

Rose ushered Harry through the shops to buy the necessary items first, leaving pleasant shops where they would look just for fun for later. The last on their to-do list was a children's wand for Harry.

When they entered the wand maker's shop, Mr. Ollivander addressed them in apparent surprise. "I wouldn't have thought to see you again," he greeted Rose in a gentle voice. "I'm more than pleased to meet you and see you looking after little Harry. I suppose that he's still too small to attend Hogwarts." He looked from Rose to the child in silent question.

"Mr. Ollivander, please don't tell anyone about me," Rose said, pleadingly, before she replied, "Harry is only six, but we'd like to have a children's wand for him."

During the next ten minutes, the wand maker made Harry try five different wands, before he gave the boy a pensive look. "Maybe," he muttered, more to himself than to his customers, and went to fetch a wand from the back of the room.

The instant Harry took the wand into his hands, he felt much happier and strangely reassured.

"Try to wave it," Ollivander encouraged him, staring at him with apparent interest.

As soon as Harry made a small movement, the wand let out bright sparkles. _'This is so cool,'_ Harry thought and whispered "Lumos" like he had observed his aunt do on Christmas day.

The tip of his wand lit immediately, causing Harry to smile broadly.

"Your nephew's magic is too strong for a children's wand. He's already able to carry a proper wand," Ollivander informed Rose and told her about the wand's ingredients.

HP

Harry was relieved when they left the shop. Although the wand maker had been very friendly to him, he found that he was somehow strange.

"Where shall we go now?" Rose asked, pleasantly. "I still owe you a Christmas present. Would you like a toy or maybe a pet?"

Harry eyed his aunt in confusion. "I've never received a Christmas present," he admitted in a small voice, only to add, "Only this year, Father Christmas brought me to you as my Christmas present. I don't need anything else."

Rose smiled at the child. "All right then, but I'd like to buy you a present nonetheless. Shall we have a look at the Magical Menagerie?"

"Okay," Harry replied, smiling, as he hesitantly slid his hand into that of his aunt, still only barely able to believe that she didn't mind touching him like Aunt Petunia did.

HP

Rose and Harry took their time observing the different animals in the Magical Menagerie, before Harry suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.

#Now they even bring small children here, not only students. This is getting annoying,# the bird that was sitting on a torch on the other side of the floor trilled.

Harry stared at the bird in annoyance. "You're not nice," he told the bird, before he asked, indignantly, "Why are children annoying?"

#Oh well most of them are, you seem to be a special nestling though,# the bird replied.

"Why?" Harry queried and stepped in front of the torch, where the bird was sitting.

"Are you able to understand the bird?" the shopkeeper came over asking in apparent surprise.

"Yes sir," Harry replied in a small voice, unsurely turning his eyes to view Aunt Rose.

"Then you must become a phoenix Animagus when you're bigger," the shopkeeper informed him, before he turned to Rose. "Your son seems to be very powerful. I'll leave him the phoenix for 20 Galleons, because he'll be able to communicate with him. Usually, I sell these for 50, but considering that the bird chose your son..."

Harry could only stare at the bird. He was beautiful. His head feathers were completely white, however, his back feathers held all different colours that were arranged to a rainbow.

#I wish to become your familiar,# the phoenix trilled to Harry.

"May I have him? We can take the money from my vault," Harry spoke up in a small voice. "He just told me that he'd like to become my familiar."

"We'll take him," Rose decided but refused to allow the shopkeeper to take the money from Harry's vault.

"His name is Blizzard, and he's a weather phoenix," the shopkeeper informed Harry, while Blizzard made himself comfortable on the boy's shoulder, letting out a few contented trills.

Rose also bought a perch as well as some food for the bird, knowing that she could send the elves to Diagon Alley if they still needed something else.

"Harry, you're an incredibly lucky young man," she told Harry, when they slowly walked through Diagon Alley, looking at this and that. "It's extremely rare that a phoenix wants to bond with a human. The headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, owns a phoenix, but I don't know any other phoenix around. Congratulations, child."

"Thank you," Harry replied, happily, as he gently petted Blizzard's head feathers how the bird had instructed him to do a few minutes ago.

HP

Harry got quickly used to his new and very happy life. On the first day after the winter holidays, Rose took him to the primary school and instructed him to visit the school for a day or a few days and then decide if he wanted to attend the school or if he preferred her to teach him in private.

At first, Harry was very hesitant, remembering all too well how everyone had called him a freak at his old school. However, not only the teacher but also the children in his new class seemed very nice, and the teacher told him that she'd like him to get to know the other children and vice versa and allowed the children to play and talk for the complete first hour.

Knowing that everyone would find out that he happened to do strange things from time to time anyway, Harry hesitantly told the others that he was a wizard and would occasionally do strange things, most times even unintentionally. He also told them that in his last school, the children had called him a freak because of this.

"Harry, you are not a freak," the teacher said in a gentle but firm voice. "On the contrary. It's amazing that you can do things that most other people can't do. If you don't harm anyone, I don't mind at all."

To Harry's relief, the whole class agreed with the teacher, and some children even begged him to do something strange to show them what he could do.

_'What can I do?'_ Harry thought, feverishly. He did not even have his wand. _'I must do something,'_ he decided and stared at the blackboard in determination, making his arm tingly like he remembered having done before and wished the blackboard to be decorated for Christmas.

Only when the class let out a collective gasp as well as comments of amazement did he realise that he had done it and relaxed. Unfortunately, he noticed that his head began to hurt as soon as he stopped concentrated on the magic. However, he was so happy about his classmates' positive reaction that he did not mind the headache and smiled happily.

HP

From that day onwards, Harry loved to go to the primary school. He got along well with his classmates, and since he had good grades, the teachers never had to complain about him.

When he returned from school, he usually helped Rose in the potions lab. At first, Rose taught him about the different kinds of ingredients, about the difference between magical and non magical ingredients and about the various ways of preparing ingredients. She realised soon that Harry seemed to be very adept at Potions and that he was a good assistant.

After making him prepare ingredients for a few months, she decided to allow him to brew easy potions. Although Harry never complained, she knew that he surely would love to brew instead of only preparing ingredients. At the beginning of the summer holidays, shortly before Harry was going to become seven, she bought the first-year Potions book that was used at Hogwarts and began to teach him to brew easy concoctions.

Harry was incredibly happy. If he had thoroughly enjoyed himself assisting Rose on a daily basis, he was over the moon with joy when he was allowed to brew. His aunt also taught him easy spells and charms that did not afford too much magic but on the other hand were convenient to know.

At the same time, knowing that she could not keep a barely seven-year-old in the lab all day, she bought several herbs and other plants that could be used as potions ingredients and with Harry's and one of the house-elves' help turned their wild garden into a paradise for potions ingredients.

During the weekends, they made it a habit to travel somewhere like, for example, the zoo in London or the sea side, where Harry had never been before, since the Dursleys had always left him with Mrs. Figg when they had taken Dudley to any interesting places.

Harry greatly enjoyed himself and just loved his new life, his home, his family in form of Rose, Blizzard and the three kind elves as well as his school friends and teachers.

Rose observed with amusement how the uncertain, shy child developed to a confident, happy boy. Unfortunately, his poor health condition had not improved yet, and once a week, Harry came down with ear infections or other illnesses, to which he was very susceptible. However, since Rose knew that the boy was not ready to speak about his ailments yet but tried to hide it like he had been forced to do at her sister's house, she watched him like a hawk, and as a healer, she could easily confirm or dismiss her suspicions.

HP

One day in the middle of the holidays, Rose spoke with Harry about his birthday. "Harry, what would you like to do for your birthday?" she enquired, suggesting, "Do you want to invite some of your classmates, or would you prefer to go somewhere for the day?"

Harry stared at his aunt in shock. "I have a birthday?" he thought, aloud, in surprise, however, declined Rose's offer to have a party, not wanting to be a bother.

Unbeknownst to the boy, Rose took matters into her own hands. As soon as Harry was asleep in the evening, she contacted Minerva McGonagall, who came over to the Evans house together with Harry's other godmother.

"I was wondering if it might be good for Harry to get to know some other magical children of his age," Rose spoke up, giving the two old witches a questioning look. "Since I've completely retreated from the magical world, I don't know anyone though," she added in a small voice.

"I have an idea," Minerva said, thoughtfully. "Do you know Augusta Longbottom? Her grandson Neville is just a day older than Harry and a very nice and quiet boy. "I could speak with Augusta about Harry and invite Neville either here or to McGonagall Manor for Harry's birthday," she suggested, smiling at the young witch. "I know Augusta well, and she won't give us out to Professor Dumbledore."

Rose immediately agreed to the plan, and Mrs. Longbottom liked the idea as well, so that the adults decided that in the afternoon of Harry's birthday, his godmothers as well as Augusta Longbottom together with Neville were going to come to the Evans' house for a birthday party.

HP

_'Thank Merlin that they're all going to come through the fireplace,'_ Rose thought in the morning of the big day, when she was just brewing a preventive potion for Neville so that he would not catch the ear infection from Harry that was bothering the boy since the previous evening. _'When Harry gets any non magical friends to visit, we need to take off the charm that the elves placed on the front of the house. But as long as we can keep it, we should.'_

This precaution was especially necessary, as the man who had driven her over the edge years ago had his home just on the other side of the playground that was adjacent to her house. Of course, she knew that he was now the Potions Master at Hogwarts and was not residing at Spinner's End anymore, however, his house was still there and no one knew when he would be going to pass in front of her own house.

As small children, they had met on the playground on a daily basis. Severus had been the one to tell her and Lily that they were magical, and Rose had been devastated when Sev had gone to Hogwarts together with Lily, while she had had to wait for another year. However, even if they were at different years at Hogwarts, she had managed to get into the same house as him, and they had remained best friends and even lived together once she finished Hogwarts.

Just at the time when she was wondering if he was going to marry her sometime soon, he had told her that it was not safe enough for her to be with him and that he was going to leave her for the time being.

Rose had been devastated. Not even Lily, to whom she was very close, had been able to convince her to not leave the magical world pretending to have died in a potions accident.

"Aunt Rose," Harry brought her back to reality, sounding urgent. "How often do you have to stir that?"

Rose looked up in shock, just on time to see the potion explode all over herself and Harry, who was trying to push her away from the cauldron.

_tbc..._

_Thank you very much for your kind comments!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Father Christmas' Gift**  
><strong>by Healer Pomfrey<strong>

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.  
>I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.<em>

* * *

><p>"Thank Merlin that it was just a harmless potion," Rose said, horrified, as soon as she recovered from the shock of the exploding liquid. <em>'At least I hope so,'<em> she added to herself, as she cleaned Harry and afterwards herself from the liquid with a flick of her wand.

"Thank you Harry for rescuing me," she said, sighing. "I was thinking about something, which one should never do while brewing."

Knowing that Harry still needed a lot of rest if he wanted to enjoy the afternoon together with Neville, she accompanied him downstairs and instructed him to lie down on his bed or the sofa in the living room, before she returned to the lab, recalling that she still had to brew the preventive potion for Neville.

HP

At first, Harry was very apprehensive, when a boy of his age stepped out of the fireplace after his grandmother. However, he realised soon that Neville was as shy and quiet as himself, and the two boys quickly became friends. They played together with the toys, which Harry had received for his birthday, and by the time Neville's grandmother wanted to return home, the two children begged her if Neville could come to visit Harry again on the next day.

Since both guardians were convinced that it would be good for the boys to have a friend to play with, Rose and Augusta agreed that Neville could visit Harry every afternoon during the summer holidays.

The two boys never got tired playing together, and they soon became used to each other in a way that they trusted the other enough to speak about their families.

While Neville admitted that his granny was very strict and difficult to get along with, Harry told his friend about his upbringing with his other aunt as well as about his school together with Dudley and his school now.

"Oh I so wished I could attend the primary school together with you," Neville said, longingly. "It's no fun being taught by my granny. She always scolds me that my magic is too low and barely above that of a Squib."

Harry stared at his friend in surprise. "I don't think that your magic is low. Remember how you changed the car into a sheep when we were missing one the other time," he replied, chuckling as he recalled the scene. "Come, let's ask Aunt Rose. She's a healer, and maybe she can check your magic."

He carefully led his friend to the attic, knowing that he should not disturb Rose while she was brewing if not for something really urgent. "Shhh, we must wait and be really quiet," he told Neville, before he carefully opened the door and made Neville silently wait together with him until Rose was able to cast a Stasis charm at the potion and turned around to view the boys.

"Hi Harry, Neville, is something wrong?" she asked in a gentle voice.

"Sorry to disturb you, Aunt Rose," Harry apologized and told Rose about Neville's apparent problem with magic.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Rose kindly asked Neville, "Neville, would you like me to cast a spell to see if your Granny is right?"

"Yes please," Neville replied, stepping from one foot onto the other in apparent anxiousness.

"Don't worry dear. I'm sure everything will be all right," Rose said in a soft voice, before she pulled her wand and cast the respective spell at the boy. Looking surprised at the result, she cast the same spell at Harry, before she began to chuckle in apparent amusement.

_'What's so funny?'_ Harry wondered, looking from Rose to Neville in surprise.

"Neville," Rose spoke up, smiling. "Your magic is exactly as strong as Harry's, which is very strong for your age." She remained thoughtful for an instant, before she queried, "Do you have a children's wand or a normal wand already?"

"My Granny gave me my father's wand to use," Neville replied, seemingly relieved.

Rose let out a long sigh. "That's the problem then." She made a small parchment come out of the tip of her wand and handed it to Neville. "Please give this to your grandmother and ask her to take you to Diagon Alley to buy a proper wand for you. Alternatively, I could take you to the wand maker tomorrow. However, we need your grandmother's approval."

"I'll ask her," Neville promised, eagerly sliding the small parchment into the pocket of his trousers.

"Neville would also like to attend the primary school together with me," Harry spoke up, giving Rose a questioning look.

"I'll speak with Neville's grandmother tonight," Rose promised, before she returned to her potion.

HP

With the help from Minerva and Poppy, Rose managed to convince Mrs. Longbottom to allow Neville to attend the primary school together with Harry, and the two boys were over the moon with joy.

From the beginning of the new school year onwards, Neville flooed to Harry's home every morning, from where the two boys walked to the school together. In the afternoon, they did their homework together, before Neville returned home and Harry assisted Rose in the potions lab.

HP

During the following years, Harry and Neville became inseparable. After Rose and Harry almost accidentally found out that Neville had a green thumb and loved working in their garden, the boy spent more and more time at the Evans' house helping with the garden work.

It was only during the summer of their eleventh birthday that the two boys impatiently waited for their Hogwarts letters and began to worry in which house they were going to be sorted.

"I don't care about the house, but I don't want to be separated from you," Harry said one day when they were working in the garden, letting out a long sigh, just when two owls descended into the garden, holding out letters to the boys.

The children hurried inside, sat around the kitchen table and engrossed themselves into the lecture of their Hogwarts letters.

"This is so cool, Harry. I can't wait to finally go to Hogwarts," Neville said, eagerly.

"Yes me too," Harry agreed. "Shall we write our replies right away?"

Neville was all for it, and by the time Rose left the potions lab and descended to the kitchen, the boy informed her, cheerily, that they had already sent their replies to Professor McGonagall using Blizzard.

Rose rolled her eyes in apparent annoyance. "Thank Merlin Professor McGonagall already knows Blizzard, otherwise she'd be very surprised to receive a student's reply from a phoenix," she commented, dryly, a small smile playing around her lips.

HP

The following day was Neville's birthday, and his grandmother and Rose had agreed that Neville should stay overnight at the Evans' house, so that the children could thoroughly enjoy their continuous birthdays. Neville's grandmother as well as Harry's two godmothers from Hogwarts came for a birthday dinner on Neville's birthday and stayed until midnight to congratulate Harry, before they returned home.

"That was a cool two-day birthday," Neville said to Harry on the following day, and his friend nodded eagerly.

"The Knight Bus it absolutely cool," Harry replied, eyeing the present that he had received from Neville's granny in amazement. "I love it."

"Let's play and have some animals travel with it to Hogwarts," Neville suggested, "or shall we put up the Hogwarts Express?"

"Yes," Harry agreed, eagerly. For the rest of the day, before Rose called them to the lab to make them assist, which the boys loved to do, they busied themselves letting animals travel from King's Cross to Hogsmeade and back.

HP

Unfortunately, the following four weeks passed as slowly as they could. The boys just could not wait any longer to finally travel to Hogwarts. Rose tried to occupy them in the lab as well as in the herb garden. While Neville by now could brew all first and second year's potions flawlessly, Harry, who had begun to study potions much earlier, managed to brew all potions that were taught during the seven Hogwarts years, and Rose was certain that if he tried, he'd pass his Potions OWLs and NEWTs without problems.

"When you come home next summer and are still interested in potions, you can begin studying for the Potions Mastery," she merely told him, smiling.

"Yes," Harry replied, happily.

Rose also took the boys to interesting places in the magical and the Muggle world. However, Harry and Neville had the impression as if the four weeks seemed infinite.

HP

It was late in the evening of the thirty-first of August that Harry woke up feeling utterly miserable. His head and his ears hurt, and he felt hot and cold at the same time. The thought _'Oh no, I want to go to Hogwarts in the morning'_ crossed his mind, however, he felt too miserable to care about it. He dragged himself through the open doors into Rose's bedroom and stood next to her bed. "Mummy, I don't feel good," he whispered, shivering violently.

Rose immediately invited the child into her bed and gently tucked him in, before she reached for her wand and cast a diagnostic spell. Not wanting to stress Harry by getting up from her bed, she called a house-elf and asked for the necessary potions, which she spelled straight into the boy's system.

"Is that better, Harry?" she whispered in a soft voice, gently caressing the boy's flushed cheeks.

"Yes, thank you," Harry whispered back, leaning into his aunt's embrace, as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

HP

In the morning, Rose informed Harry that he would not be able to travel to Hogwarts, at least not with the Hogwarts Express, causing Harry to throw his first temper tantrum ever.

Rose cast him a stern look. "I hope that you're behaviour is only caused by your fever," she said, sounding very annoyed. "I didn't say that you can't go to Hogwarts. I can take you there, or Blizzard can, as soon as your condition improves at least a little bit," she added in a strict voice.

"Can Neville go with me then?" Harry asked, tear-stricken.

Rose let out a long sigh. "Harry, I think it would be much nicer for Neville to take the Hogwarts Express, and you'll see him at Hogwarts then," she replied in a much softer voice and headed to the fireplace to inform Neville.

To Harry's relief, Neville insisted to go to Hogwarts together with Harry. The two friends had become very close and inseparable, especially after spending the whole holidays together, mostly at the Evans house, where one of the empty bedrooms had already become Neville's room.

HP

The two friends spent most of the day in Harry's room, while Rose busied herself brewing a huge batch of the preventive potion, which she used to give to Neville when Harry was ill. Finally, she asked a house-elf to take the preventive potion as well as the potion and ear salve that Harry needed to Madam Pomfrey. She then successively floo-called Pomfrey and McGonagall and informed them that Harry was ill and that she'd send Harry and Neville to Hogwarts with Blizzard on time for the Sorting.

Late in the afternoon, Rose shrank Harry's and Neville's luggage and informed the boys that Madam Pomfrey wanted them to take the Floo to her office instead of flashing with Blizzard. "She'll take you to the Great Hall for the Sorting," she said, pulling each of the boys into a bear's hug, before she ushered them to the fireplace.

HP

As soon as Pomfrey's elf Misty informed them that the students were just arriving with the boats, Pomfrey led Harry and Neville to the staircase, where they could easily mix up with the other first-years.

"Good luck for the Sorting, and Harry, please, come to see me after the feast," she said in a soft voice, giving the boys an encouraging smile.

HP

Twenty minutes later, Harry and Neville were standing in front of the high table waiting for Professor McGonagall to call their names for the Sorting. To his surprise, Harry noticed that Blizzard was sitting on one of the torches behind the head table together with another phoenix. _'That must be a fire phoenix,'_ Harry mused, before he let his eyes wander around the high table.

_'That must be Dumbledore,'_ Harry thought, trying to not let the disgust show in his face as he remembered that the old wizard was the one who had sent him to live with the Dursleys.

"Longbottom, Neville," McGonagall suddenly read from her list, diverting Harry's attention, so that he missed the encouraging look, which he received from the headmaster.

_'It doesn't matter where, but please together with Neville,'_ Harry pleaded with the Sorting Hat just a few minutes later.

_tbc..._

_Thank you very much for your kind comments!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Father Christmas' Gift**  
><strong>by Healer Pomfrey<strong>

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.  
>I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.<em>

* * *

><p><em>'Hmmm,'<em> Harry heard a small voice speaking straight into his mind. _'You'd do well in Slytherin.'_

_'No, please put me into Hufflepuff together with Neville,'_ Harry begged the Hat, feeling utterly relieved, when the Hat suddenly shouted into the Great Hall.

"Hufflepuff!"

Smiling broadly, Harry handed the Hat back to Professor McGonagall, who cast him an encouraging smile. He glanced at the high table, as he made his way to his house table, noticing that Madam Pomfrey equally smiled, while Harry had the impression as if the headmaster looked slightly disappointed.

Harry happily slipped into the seat next to Neville, thinking _'I must write to Aunt Rose right after dinner. She'll be so happy for us.'_

The other first-years as well as the older students at the Hufflepuff table seemed very nice, and if Harry had felt slightly self-conscious because he had not travelled on the Hogwarts Express, the feeling subsided very quickly.

Dinner was almost finished, when Professor Sprout, whom one of the older students had pointed out to be their head of house, came to the Hufflepuff table.

"Please gather in the common room for a short house meeting when you arrive." Turning to Harry, she added in a small voice, "Madam Pomfrey wishes to speak with you for a moment. Afterwards, I'll take you with me to the common room."

"All right," Harry replied and stood from his seat, noticing from the corner of his eyes that Neville followed his example. However, Madam Pomfrey was not sitting at the high table anymore, and Harry looked around in confusion.

"Over there," Neville whispered, pointing to a spot a little bit away from where the teachers were still sitting.

HP

Pomfrey led Harry into a small side chamber, gently allowing Neville to accompany her patient. "Congratulations for being sorted together," she said, smiling at the excited boys, who thanked her, simultaneously.

"Harry, are you feeling all right?" she queried in apparent concern. "You didn't eat much."

"It's all right," Harry lied, not wanting the healer to take him with her to the hospital wing."

"I don't think so, and normally I'd take you with me," Pomfrey contradicted, "however, knowing that you have these problems about once a week, I'll let you go to your dormitory. I'll come and check on you and give you more potions later tonight," she promised, while carefully applying the salve to Harry's ears.

Harry profusely thanked the healer, feeling very relieved when she let them go, pointing out that Professor Sprout was waiting for them at the high table.

"Thanks Neville for coming with me," Harry whispered to his friend, who returned a comforting smile.

"Always Harry," his friend reassured him. "That's what friends are for."

HP

Together, they followed Professor Sprout to the Hufflepuff common room, looking in amazement at the moving paintings in the halls. _'Like at Longbottom Manor,'_ Harry thought. _'But here they're even more impressive.'_

"My office is here right opposite of the common room," their head of house informed them, before she instructed Harry to come to her whenever he was not feeling all right or when one of them had any other problems.

"Thank you Professor," Harry replied, gratefully, listening with interest when the professor informed them that the current password to enter the common room was _'Welcome to Hufflepuff'_ but that she usually changed it once a week.

HP

Harry and Neville quickly lowered themselves onto the floor in the corner, where their classmates were sitting and waved them over, as soon as they entered the common room. Sprout began with the house meeting right away and during the following thirty minutes explained what she expected from the students in her house.

"In contrary to the other houses, for us Hufflepuffs, house unity is important. The other houses tend to ridicule us, so its upon ourselves to look after each other," she explained and pointed to the white board at one side of the room. "I wish to have two sixth years every evening, who stay in the common room and help younger students with their homework or any other problems," she informed the older students. "I'd also like to ask the third years to be ready to run small errands for the fifth and seventh year students, who are busy studying for the OWLs and NEWTs. Please put your names under the respective date on the board if you're willing to help your housemates."

The professor still continued to talk, however, Harry tuned out her voice. Somehow, he was not feeling well at all and rather wanted to go to bed. However, under no circumstances would he let anyone know about it, deciding that he was not going to miss classes from the first day onwards.

_'Sprout seems really nice,'_ he thought, feeling very happy for Neville upon realising that their head of house was the Herbology teacher. Even if he was interested in Herbology too, Harry's main interest and abilities lay in Potions, while Neville was much better caring for plants and herbs than him.

He was brought out of his musings when everyone suddenly rose from the floor. _'Thank Merlin it's over,'_ he thought and turned to Neville. "I'm going to bed." Glad that the professor had explained where the first year dormitories were, he climbed up the staircase right away, without even waiting for his friend, who closely followed him.

"Harry, are you not feeling well?" Neville asked in apparent concern.

"Not really," Harry admitted in a small voice. "But don't tell anyone. Pomfrey said she'd give me more potions later on. I just hope I'll feel better in the morning."

"I hope so too," Neville replied, soothingly. "Look, there's Blizzard's perch right next to the window."

Harry smiled at his familiar who greeted them with a series of happy trills. _'I've got the bed that's right next to the window,'_ he realised, happily. _'And thank Merlin Neville's is right next to mine.'_ "Good night Neville," he said, sleepily.

"Good night, Harry," Neville replied, sounding very happy. "Get well quickly. I'll see you in the morning."

HP

In the morning, Harry woke up when he felt a tingling sensation running up and down his body. _'Mum,'_ he thought, knowing that it felt that way when his aunt used to check on him. However, as soon as he opened his eyes, he remembered that he was at Hogwarts and saw that it was no other than Madam Pomfrey who was waving her wand over him.

"I'm not very happy," she told him. "I'd prefer to keep you in bed, but I suppose that you want to attend classes?"

"Excuse me, Madame, what did you say? I think I can't hear very well today," Harry whispered back, horrified, causing the healer to spell a few potions into his system.

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey. This is much better," Harry said, gratefully, and this time, he was able to understand when the healer repeated what she had told him earlier.

"Yes, please let me attend classes," Harry replied, immediately.

"Only if you promise that you come to me or return here and send your phoenix or Mr. Longbottom to me if you feel worse," the healer informed him in a no-nonsense voice, which Harry knew all too well from Rose.

"All right," he promised in a small voice.

Seeing that he still had time before breakfast, he quickly scribbled a short letter to his aunt.

_'Dear Aunt Rose,_

_Neville and I are both in Hufflepuff. I like it here. Everyone is very nice, the students and our head of house too. She is the Herbology teacher, so Neville must be thrilled. I hope we'll have Potions today. I can't wait. I just hope the professor is as nice as our head of house._

_I miss you._

_Love_

_Harry'_

"Blizzard, can you please take my letter to Aunt Rose?" Harry then turned to the phoenix, who let out a comforting melody in return and flashed away, as soon as Harry had handed him the parchment.

HP

At breakfast, Professor Sprout handed out the timetables. Harry looked at the parchment in his hands in enthusiasm. "We've Potions first thing in the morning," he whispered to Neville, feeling extremely excited.

"Does anyone know where the Potions classroom is?" Susan, one of the other first years, suddenly spoke up, causing Harry's classmates to shake their heads.

"I'll take you there," one of the third years offered, casting Professor Sprout a questioning look.

"Please do so, Mr. Diggory," the Hufflepuff head replied in a gentle voice. "What's your first morning class?"

"Charms," Cedric Diggory replied after consulting his timetable.

"Very well, I'll excuse you with Professor Flitwick then," Sprout promised and made her way back to the high table.

"We better go now, if you want to be at the Potions classroom on time," the third year student announced, before he made a quick detour to the Ravenclaw table to invite the first years to follow them to the Potions classroom.

HP

Harry entered the Potions classroom with excitement. On the way to the dungeons, he had exchanged a few words with one of the Ravenclaw students, who seemed to be very nice. She told him that she was muggleborn and asked him several questions about the brewing of potions, which Harry happily answered.

Harry slipped into the empty seat next to the girl, and Neville immediately sat on his other side.

"I'm sorry," the girl suddenly spoke up again. "I didn't even introduce myself before bombarding you with questions. I'm Hermione."

Harry smiled. "This is my best friend Neville," he replied, pointing to his neighbour, "and I'm Harry."

HP

Suddenly, the door shut with a loud bang, and the Potions professor swept to the front of the classroom - at least to Harry's slightly foggy mind it seemed as if the teacher swept with his robes billowing behind him.

Harry eagerly listened to the professor's long monologue about Potions, however, he noticed soon that the potions had only helped so much with his hearing. He could barely understand the professor, who spoke in a very monotone and even way.

_'I hope Mum will eventually find something that'll really help my ears,'_ he thought, sadly, knowing that Rose had been doing research on this area for years and had already managed to improve his ear salve for him.

"Mr. Potter," the professor suddenly bellowed, "our new celebrity."

Harry looked up in confusion. He could sense that the professor was still speaking at him, however, he could not make out a word.

"What would he get if he added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Neville repeated for his friend in a very loud voice, causing the professor to see red.

"Longbottom, twenty points from Hufflepuff for disturbing my class," he bellowed, before he turned back to Harry. "You don't know?" he sneered. "Pity."

"I'm sorry sir, I can't hear well today, but it's a sleeping potion, also called the Draught of Living Death," Harry replied in a small voice, causing the professor to bombard him with more questions, fortunately speaking loud enough to penetrate Harry's clogged up ears.

To Harry's relief, he was able to answer all the questions, which the professor threw at him, however, after listing the ingredients for a seventh year potion correctly, Snape suddenly glared at him and hissed, "Directly after lunch, you will accompany me to the headmaster. One hundred points from Hufflepuff for your insolence and detention with me after dinner."

Harry did not understand everything the professor said, however, Hermione, who had obviously noticed his predicament, suddenly told him in a louder voice, "Don't say anything now. We'll tell you after the class."

"Ten points from Ravenclaw for disturbing my class," the professor bellowed, before he began to dive into a monologue about magical and non magical ingredients.

To his chagrin, Harry was unable to understand anything of the explanation, however, after the class, Neville explained that Harry already knew everything that the first years had learned during their first Potions class.

"I wonder what upset him so much," Harry spoke up, when he walked through the dungeon corridor to head to his next class together with Neville and Hermione.

"Harry, I have no idea what upset Professor Snape," Hermione was the first to reply. "It was amazing how much you know about Potions though."

"Thank you," Harry replied, smiling.

"I'll accompany you to the headmaster's office," Neville reassured his best friend, who cast him a relieved smile.

_tbc..._

_Thank you very much for your kind comments!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Father Christmas' Gift**  
><strong>by Healer Pomfrey<strong>

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.  
>I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.<em>

* * *

><p>Harry did not feel hungry in the slightest. The thought of Professor Snape's earlier reaction and the threat of going to see the headmaster right after lunch completely ruined his appetite.<p>

As soon as he noticed that Professor Snape had finished eating, Harry made his way to the high table, closely followed by Neville.

"Longbottom, what do you want?" Snape sneered, when Neville followed his friend up to the headmaster's office.

"Accompany Harry," Neville replied, tentatively, causing the Potions Master to glare at him.

"Mr. Potter does not need your help," he said, icily. "You better go and join your classmates if you don't want to serve detention with me for the rest of the week."

"Yes sir," Neville mumbled, casting Harry an apologetic look, before he turned around and ran back to where they had come from.

Inwardly groaning, Harry followed the Potions Master to the headmaster's office. _'I should have gone to Madam Pomfrey to get some more of the ear salve instead of attending lunch,'_ he thought, as he entered the round office and came to stand in front of the phoenix with whom Blizzard had sat together at the Sorting last night.

"Hello," he whispered to the phoenix.

#Hello nestling,# the phoenix trilled, loud enough for Harry to understand his trills. #Don't be scared of the grumpy one. He's always very moody, but he has a good heart,# the phoenix informed him, causing Harry to inwardly smile.

"Severus, Harry," the headmaster greeted them, motioning them to take a seat, before he offered them a lemon drop from a small bowl.

Like the Potions Master, Harry politely refused, thinking, _'Who knows if there might be Veritaserum in these.'_

"What brings you here?" the headmaster queried, at least that's what Harry guessed from his expression.

"Mr. Potter saw fit to use Legilimency on me during class," Snape complained, causing Harry to cast the professors a questioning look.

Seeing that the headmaster looked at him in apparent expectation, Harry spoke up, sighing. "I'm sorry, Professor Dumbledore, but I can't hear well today. I'm having a problem with my ears."

"Then you should go to the hospital wing and ask Madam Pomfrey for a potion," Snape was the first to reply, seemingly agitated.

"Madam Pomfrey came to check on me in the morning and gave me the necessary potions," Harry explained, calmly, only to add, "However, they only helped so much." Turning to the headmaster, he said, "Professor Snape asked me many questions, which I tried to answer correctly, and then all of a sudden, he became very angry. I've no idea why."

"Professor Snape believes," Dumbledore replied in a voice loud enough for Harry to understand, "that you used Legilimency on him."

Harry shook his head in confusion. "Excuse me, sir, but I didn't use anything. What is Legilimency, sir?"

The headmaster thoughtfully stroke his long beard, before he asked, "How come that you could answer all of Professor Snape's questions correctly?"

Harry smiled. "I'm very interested in Potions, sir, and I love to brew," he informed the headmaster.

"That's very good, Harry," Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling happily. "I'm sure that Professor Snape will appreciate having such an eager student." Turning to the Potions Master, he said in an equally loud voice, "Severus, on your way back, will you please take Harry to Poppy, so that she can have a look at his ears?"

"Albus, I don't believe a word," the Potions Master replied in an angry and loud voice. "Will you please call Poppy here?"

Harry inwardly groaned, wondering why the professor behaved as if he was a stubborn child. He sighed in relief, when Madam Pomfrey stepped out of the fireplace, giving him a concerned look.

The headmaster quickly explained the situation, and the healer nodded in understanding. "Mr. Potter has ear problems, but they are chronic, which is why I didn't keep him with me but allowed him to attend classes," she explained in a firm voice. "As to Severus' accusation, I can only say that I know for a fact that Harry is very gifted at Potions and that he probably doesn't know what Legilimency is."

"Why would you know that, Poppy?" Dumbledore asked, frowning. "Have you known Harry before he came to Hogwarts?"

"Mrs. Figg called me one or the other time because of Harry's problems," Poppy replied, calmly. "I've known Harry since the age of six."

"And who taught him Potions?" Snape threw in, impatiently.

"I'm sorry, Severus, but that's not my secret to tell," Poppy replied, apologetically.

"Severus, if that's so, you should consider asking Harry to become your student assistant," Dumbledore suggested. "Remember our recent conversation. 100 points back to Hufflepuff by the way."

Snape cast the headmaster a murderous look, before he turned to Harry and asked, aloud, "Who taught you Potions? As far as I know, you grew up with your Muggle relatives."

"My aunt," Harry replied, simply, causing the Potions Master to see red.

"I know for a fact that Petunia has no idea about Potions whatsoever," he hissed, glaring at the boy. "Detention with me for the rest of the week."

"Yes sir," Harry replied in a small voice, wondering what he might have done to anger the professor so much. _'Oh right, he thinks my aunt would be Aunt Petunia,'_ he realised. _'But I can't tell him about Aunt Rose. She doesn't want anyone to know that she's alive.'_

"I'm sorry, Severus, but as long as Harry is still running a temperature, he won't be allowed to participate in any detention, even if I might let him attend classes," Poppy countered in a strict voice. "When he'll be able to attend your detentions, I strongly suggest to let him assist you with the potions for the hospital wing," she added, before she excused herself and Harry from the meeting and took Harry with her to her office.

HP

"Thank you so much for standing up for me," Harry said, smiling, as he followed the healer through the halls, which were empty, as the first afternoon class had already commenced.

"You're very welcome, Harry," Pomfrey replied, giving the boy a fond look. "Once Professor Snape gets to know you, he'll appreciate your proficiency at brewing," she added, before she turned into healer's mode and began to wave her wand over the boy.

"Not better at all," she muttered and made Harry drink two potions, before she carefully applied the ear salve. "Do you feel well enough to attend your afternoon classes?" she asked in a soft voice. "You don't have to. I can excuse you with your teachers."

"No thank you," Harry replied, firmly. "I want to attend classes."

HP

During the next two Potions classes, Harry noticed that the professor chose to completely ignore him. While he ridiculed all of his housemates because of their - as he pointed out - atrocious attempts at the brewing of potions, Harry had the impression as if he did not even look at Neville's, his own and Hermione's cauldrons.

On Friday evening, Harry decided to attend his detention. _'He can't ignore me then,'_ he thought. "Maybe I can speak with him and ask what's the problem," he explained to the healer as he asked her to let him attend the detention.

"Harry, one problem that he has is your resemblance to your father," Pomfrey informed him in a gentle voice. "They were the greatest enemies during their time at Hogwarts. However, your mother and your aunt were his best friends, and if you give him enough time to get to know you, he'll eventually realise that you resemble them much more than your father."

Harry let out a long sigh. "Thank you so much for telling me this, Madam Pomfrey. If that's his problem, there's really nothing that I can do about it."

"Just try to get to know him," Pomfrey replied, smiling. "You have much in common."

HP

After dinner, Harry traipsed down to the dungeons with apprehension. He hesitantly knocked at the door to the professor's office.

Snape barely looked at him but strode ahead into the Potions classroom, where he ordered him to clean a huge pile of dirty cauldrons and held out his hand, demandingly.

Harry gave the professor a questioning look, wondering what he wanted.

"Your wand," the professor drawled, causing Harry to obediently hand over his wand, in surprise.

_'What does he want to do with my wand?'_ Harry wondered but did not really care. At home, he never carried his wand with him and was used to clean his workspace wandlessly. He waved his hand over the cauldrons, a process that he had to repeat twice, as some of them were very dirty, before he magically returned them to their respective shelves.

"Potter!" Snape growled, angrily. "What do you think why I took your wand?"

"I've no idea, sir," Harry replied in a small voice.

"Because you were supposed to clean these without magic," the professor said, icily, before he instructed the boy, "Brew a salve for sunburn."

Harry nodded, eagerly. "May I have the recipe, sir?" he asked, politely, recalling that it was one of the potions that had been in the seventh year's book.

An instant later, the recipe found itself on the table in front of him, and Harry happily set up his cauldron, while the professor sat at his desk, seemingly engrossed in his _Potions Monthly_.

HP

Severus opened his _Potions Monthly_, feigning to engross himself in his lecture, while he unobtrusively observed the child's every move. After mere minutes, he was sure that Harry knew exactly what he was doing. _'Poppy was right. He's extremely adept, especially for a child of his age,'_ he thought, with a combination of disgust and amazement. _'I wonder where he learned that. Definitely not from Petunia.'_

While Harry was busying himself brewing the requested salve, the Potions Master's thoughts drifted off to Petunia and her two lovely sisters. The thought _'Lily and Rose were both extremely adept'_ crossed his mind. _'If they were still alive, the boy would be as brilliant at his age,'_ he thought, recalling how he had loved to brew difficult potions, even as a first year. _'Nevertheless, it's unsettling that I don't know where he learned it,'_ he thought.

Suddenly, the boy's voice brought him back to reality. "Finished, sir."

Severus stepped around the table and eyed the salve, sniffed at it and applied a very tiny bit to his left hand, before he nodded, contentedly. "Bottle it into small glasses. I'll take it to Madam Pomfrey for use in the hospital wing later on," he instructed the boy.

"Excuse me, sir, may I use magic to bottle it?" Potter asked back in a barely audible voice, causing Severus to absentmindedly nod his agreement. _'I've never used a first year's potion in the hospital wing,'_ he realised, inwardly groaning.

HP

Apart from his problems with the Potions Master, Harry enjoyed being at Hogwarts very much. He and Neville had become good friends with Susan, a Hufflepuff classmate, as well as the Ravenclaw first year, Hermione. The four of them were always together and even worked on their assignments together in the library every afternoon.

Not wanting to upset Rose, Harry did not tell her about the Potions Master's behaviour towards him. He only informed her about other classes, his friends and whatever he liked. _'She must know Snape though,'_ he thought one day, suddenly recalling that his godmother had told him Snape had been best friends with his mother and aunt. _'She can't mean Aunt Petunia, as she never attended Hogwarts,'_ he mused and decided to speak with Rose about Snape during the Christmas holidays. _'Only two more weeks, before we're going to go home,' _he thought, feeling very happy at the idea of spending two weeks with his aunt. _'She's like a mum, more than like an aunt,'_ he thought, smiling.

The only sad thing about going home for Christmas was that he wouldn't be able to see his friends for two weeks. Of course Neville was going to come over - with or without his granny - every now and then, however, Susan and Hermione were going to go home as well during the holidays.

One day, a sudden idea crossed Harry's mind. He immediately scribbled a note to his aunt and asked Blizzard to take it home and wait for a reply as fast as possible. Ten minutes later, Blizzard brought back a small parchment.

_'Hello my son, of course you may invite your friends home after Christmas for a few days. I'm looking forward to meeting them. Love you, Rose.'_

Harry dashed into the common room, knowing that his friends were already waiting for him on their way to breakfast, and blurted out, "Do you want to come and visit me after Christmas?"

Hermione and Susan were all in for it and used the History of Magic class to urgently write home, happily accepting that Harry offered they could use Blizzard to have their letters delivered.

Knowing that his friends would come to visit him during the holidays, Harry was very happy when he boarded the Hogwarts Express for the first time to travel home for Christmas. _'I'm so happy, and it all began with my Christmas present five years ago,'_ he thought, smiling broadly when he spotted Rose on the platform and allowed himself to be pulled into a bear's hug.

_tbc..._

_Thank you very much for your kind comments!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Father Christmas' Gift**  
><strong>by Healer Pomfrey<strong>

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.  
>I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.<em>

* * *

><p>After dinner, Harry told his guardian everything about his first months at Hogwarts. For the first time, he even informed her that he often got headaches in Professor Quirrell's class and that Professor Snape seemed to hate him with a passion.<p>

"Harry, where exactly does your head hurt?" Rose asked, alert. "Is it concentrated on the area where your scar is?"

"Maybe," Harry replied, thoughtfully.

"In that case, you must speak with the headmaster as soon as you return to Hogwarts," Rose told him in a firm voice. "There's only one person who can make your scar hurt," she continued and explained, "Through your scar, you're connected to Voldemort. Maybe Professor Quirrell is possessed by his spirit." She let out a long sigh. "In fact, Severus would be best able to help you. We need to figure out something for the relationship between the two of you."

Seeing that Harry looked at her in expectation and knowing that she could fully trust her surrogate son, Rose hesitantly explained about her relationship to the Potions Master.

"Thank you for telling me everything," Harry finally said in a compassionate voice.

"I always intended to tell you, but you were too young," Rose replied, smiling. "And now off to bed with you. I plan to go to Diagon Alley as early in the morning as possible, before it becomes too crowded."

Harry immediately agreed, knowing that he still had to buy Christmas presents for his friends, his godmothers, _'and for Mum,'_ he thought, smiling in anticipation as crawled into bed and allowed Rose to tuck him in. _'It's because of Snape that she's hiding,'_ he realised. _'But she still seems to love him. I really must try to somehow get along with him,'_ he mused, before he drifted off to sleep.

HP

When Harry woke up in the morning, he noticed to his utmost annoyance that he had caught his usual ear infection.

"Aunt Rose, could I perhaps brew fruit drops for my friends instead of going to Diagon Alley?" he asked in a soft voice, when he entered the kitchen, where Rose was already reading the Daily Prophet, apparently waiting for him.

"Of course, but why?" she absentmindedly, before she looked up, taking in his sickly appearance. "Oh no, my poor boy," she said, sighing. "Try to eat some breakfast first, and then I'll give you your potions. Afterwards, we'll see if you're well enough to brew."

"It's still not bad," Harry replied in a soothing voice, and to his relief, he was allowed to brew for a while.

After two hours, he finished the last batch of fruit drops, and Rose promised to fill everything into the respective forms and clean his workspace for him, before she sent him to bed in a no-nonsense voice.

_'I still need a present for Mum,'_ Harry thought, when he lay down in his bed, glad to be in his own room at home for a change.

HP

Severus Snape made himself as comfortable as possible in his old house at Spinner's end. Although he had completely changed the house, it somehow still reminded him of his father, one of the reasons why he barely ever returned to his home during the holidays. However, this school year had been so annoying so far with a stuttering Defence professor, a first year who was able to brew NEWT level potions - for an unknown reason - and a headmaster who pestered him that he should make the boy his student assistant, the spitting image of his own childhood enemy at that. Therefore, he had decided to return to his own house for once, and the headmaster had agreed, provided that Severus would make an appearance at Christmas dinner.

He immediately made his way to his Potions lab, which he had moved to the top floor after his father had died, the room, in which he felt the most comfortable of all rooms in the house. He was just going to brew an experimental potion, when he glanced out of the window and stopped dead in his tracks.

One more reason why he rarely ever came here was that the old Evans house was just over the playground, and every time he looked at the deserted house it made his heart break. During the thirty-one years of his life, he had only loved two persons. One of them had been his mother, Eileen Snape, the second had been Rose Evans. Everything had gone well, even if Rose was a year younger than himself and had thus been in a different year at Hogwarts, she had been sorted into Slytherin like himself, and they had always been best friends.

In the summer after successfully taking his OWLs, he had asked Rose to become his girlfriend, and the girl had naturally agreed, pointing out that she had already been his girlfriend since they met each other for the first time - at the age of three. As soon as Rose had finished Hogwarts, she had moved into his house - until that fateful day eleven years ago, when he had separated from her, thinking that it was too dangerous for her to live together with a Death Eater. _'The Dark Lord would have killed her immediately if he had known,'_ he thought in a faint attempt to console his bad consciousness.

Only two days later had Rose died in a Potions accident, and Severus had immediately known that it was his fault. She had just finished her Potions Mastery as well as her healer's exam, and Severus knew that she would not have made such a grave mistake in the Potions lab if she had not been mentally disturbed - which was just because of him.

Even now, after eleven years had passed, Severus was unable to forget her. Every day, he thought about her, fighting back the tears upon seeing her photograph on his night table.

On this morning of Christmas Eve, however, the Evans house did not look deserted anymore. On the contrary, it was beautifully decorated for Christmas.

_'Rose'_ was the first thought that came into his mind. However, the knowledge that dead people can't simply return to live was present at the front of his mind. _'Maybe someone bought the house from Petunia,'_ he thought, turning away from the window. However, he had seen enough to realise that the decorations had been made with magic.

_'Ridiculous,'_ he told himself and pulled a cauldron out of the first shelf in determination. _'Maybe I should return to Hogwarts, when I nurse such stupid thoughts upon coming here,'_ he wondered, when a sudden idea crossed his mind that put itself together like a jigsaw puzzle.

_'Potter can brew seventh year potions, and he told us that his aunt had taught him. Maybe he's not the liar that I always thought he was...'_

Placing back the cauldron to where it belonged, he hurried downstairs, grabbed his robes and left the house. A minute later, he stood in front of the entrance doors of his childhood friends.

_'Rose Evans'_ he read with a combination of disbelief, anger and utmost joy.

Summoning his courage, he hesitantly pressed the bell.

HP

Harry feverishly pondered what he could give Rose for Christmas. _'It's really difficult, as I can't even go and buy something. If she allows me to brew again later on, maybe I could make some ginger chocolates though. But if not... Maybe I should give her a voucher for something, but what?'_ He let out a deep sigh, thinking, _'I should have asked Madam Pomfrey for an advice.'_

He was brought out of his musings when all of a sudden, the door bell rang. Harry had never heard it before, since Rose had only now instructed the house-elves to take off the charm that made the house look deserted, because Hermione and Susan were going to visit Harry during the holidays. However, he instinctively knew that it had to be the door bell.

Knowing that Rose was still in the lab to finish some orders, which she had to deliver to the apothecaries before they were going to close for Christmas in the afternoon, he slowly crawled out of his bed and threw his robes over his pyjamas.

He dragged himself downstairs and opened the front door, only to stare at the visitor in disbelief.

"Professor Snape," he said, unable to hide his surprise.

"Good morning Mr. Potter. I'm sorry to disturb you on Christmas Eve," the professor said, uncharacteristically friendly. "I'd like to speak with Rose Evans."

"Please come in, sir," Harry replied, feverishly trying to close his robes over his pyjamas, which the professor would surely find very childish with the all-over pattern of reindeers. He led the professor into the living room and motioned him to take a seat, before he called one of the house-elves. "Sparky, please bring some tea for Professor Snape," he instructed the elf.

"My aunt is in the lab, but I'll go and take over for her," he informed the professor and swiftly crossed the room.

"Mr. Potter," Snape called him back, causing Harry to turn around, giving the teacher a questioning look. "Maybe I should come back at a later time," the professor said in an uncharacteristically gentle voice. "First of all, you don't look as if you were well enough to take over for your aunt, and secondly, I'm not sure if she wants to see me at all."

Harry smiled. "Don't worry, sir. I know that Aunt Rose will be thrilled to meet you, even if it's a bit sudden, and I'm well able to take over for her. Please give my aunt a few minutes though." With that he left the room and headed to the attic, wondering how his aunt would react to the news.

HP

Harry waited until Rose had finished stirring twenty-two times counter clockwise, before he spoke up in a soft voice. "Professor Snape is downstairs and wishes to see you."

Rose turned around staring at him in shock. "Harry, are you delirious?" she asked, giving him a concerned look.

"I'm fine," Harry replied, sincerely. "Let me take over here. Go and speak with him," he said, smiling, mumbling something like "Maybe Father Christmas sent him."

"Very well," Rose replied, absentmindedly, quickly pointing out up to which stage she had brewed already, before she left the lab, knowing that Harry would be well able to finish the potion for her.

HP

Trying to push the image of Rose speaking with Professor Snape far away from his mind, Harry concentrated on the concoction that he had to brew and thirty minutes later bottled a flawlessly brewed potion. Seeing that Rose had already laid out the next recipe, which was a simple healing potion that would not take more than twenty minutes, he immediately continued brewing.

As soon as he had bottled the potion as well, he cleaned the lab and headed downstairs, where he very hesitantly entered the living room.

HP

"I'm sorry to disturb you," he spoke up in a small voice, seeing his aunt and professor sit on the sofa together quietly talking to each other. "I've finished the potion and the next. What else needs to be brewed?"

"Thank you Harry," Rose replied and rose from the sofa. "I want you to go back to bed now though. I'll finish the last three potions myself." Turning to the professor, she said, apologetically, "I'm sorry Severus, but I need to go and finish an urgent order."

"I'll assist if you don't mind," the Potions Master replied in a soft voice.

"I'd like that," Rose said, smiling.

"Mr. Potter," Snape addressed the boy. "I wish to apologize to you for my behaviour during the last few months."

"It's all right, sir," Harry replied, wearily.

"You must understand that it was very unsettling to have a first year student able to brew seventh year potions without any explanation for his abilities," Snape continued in the same, soft voice.

"I understand, sir. It's fine," Harry reassured the professor, smiling. "I'm glad that you came and made up with my aunt. She looks very happy," he added in a barely audible voice, more to himself than to the adults.

"Come Harry," Rose spoke up and, gently laying her arm around his shoulders, led him back to his room and tucked him in, quickly pointing her wand at his head. "Try to sleep for a while, son," she instructed him. "I can only give you the next dose of potions in about an hour."

"'kay," Harry replied and, after a last glance into her happy face, closed his eyes, ready to drift off to a much needed healing sleep within seconds.

HP

In the attic turned Potions lab, Rose brewed the next potions for her customer, while Severus prepared the ingredients.

"Do you think we could begin anew?" he suddenly queried, quirking an eyebrow. "Will you be able to forgive me, at least to a certain extent?"

Rose let out a deep sigh. "Severus, it's not that easy," she replied, pensively. "I'm not alone and able to do as I please anymore. I have a son."

"Have you adopted him?" Severus asked in apparent surprise, causing Rose to smile.

"Not yet," she admitted. "However, I have the adoption papers ready in my room and intend to show them to him tomorrow. He's such a sweet child. Every time he's ill, and also in his nightmares about Petunia and her even more horrible husband, he calls me 'mum'. He never calls me that when he's alert though, probably because he's so uncertain." Casting her best friend a small glare, she added, "In everything but Potions."

"I'm really sorry," Severus admitted. "If I had known..."

"It's all right, Sev.," Rose said in a soothing voice. "He'll probably understand. But I hope that you'll understand that nothing will be like it was. Harry now belongs to me. He's my child, and if the two of you won't be able to get along, there can't be a future for us, at least not as long as Harry is a child and living with me. He has been abused by my sister and her husband, and I want to make up for it as far as possible and give him a happy childhood." She interrupted herself to count the stirs, sighing in relief when the last potion was finished.

"I'll speak with Harry," she promised, "as soon as his condition allows it, probably tomorrow morning at the latest. I'll contact you then."

"Very well," Severus replied, before he leaned over and pulled her into a soft kiss. "I still love you," he said in his soft, baritone voice that she liked so much.

"I love you, too," Rose admitted, before they headed downstairs together.

_tbc..._

_Thank you very much for your kind comments!_


	8. Chapter 8

**Father Christmas' Gift**  
><strong>by Healer Pomfrey<strong>

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.  
>I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.<em>

* * *

><p>During the rest of the day, Harry's condition did not improve, and Rose decided to not bother the sick child with her private matters. Only when she checked on him early on Christmas morning, she noticed in relief that his ears had become a bit better and his fever was considerably lower. <em>'Thank Merlin,'<em> she thought. _'I wouldn't want his condition spoil Christmas Day for him.'_

HP

When Harry's mind turned back to awareness, Rose was sitting on the edge of his bed, engrossed in a small book.

"Happy Christmas, son," she said, smiling.

"Merry Christmas," Harry mumbled, sleepily.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" she asked, laying her book aside.

"Much better," Harry replied, smiling. "Is Snape gone? Did you make up with him?"

"It's not as much better as you might think," Rose admitted, "as I've already given you your next dose of potions, but at least an improvement. Professor Snape helped me to finish all the potions that I had to finish yesterday, and I took the liberty of asking Blizzard to take them to the apothecary. I hope that was all right."

"Of course it was," Harry said, indignantly, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "You look very happy."

Rose smiled and carefully pulled the child into a hug. "You're very observing, Harry," she commended the boy. "Yes, I am happy that I finally had the chance to meet Severus again. In fact, he asked me if we could get back together again," she admitted, "but I told him that you and I are a family now and that I can't make such important decisions alone."

"But Mum," Harry replied, horrified, "of course you can live together with him. Don't make any mistakes that you'll regret later, just because of me."

"Harry," Rose admonished him, lightly, "don't make yourself so upset. You're my son now, and so far, Severus was not very nice to you, was he?"

Harry sighed. "No, but he apologized, and if he tries to behave civically, I won't have a problem with it." He remained thoughtful for a moment, before he asked, "Can we, perhaps, try it out during the holidays? I mean, he could stay here with us from today until New Year's day, and by then you decide if you want to live together with him."

"That's a good idea, Harry," Rose replied, thoughtfully. "However, not I will decide, but we, and it's not if I want to live together with him, but if we want it. On a different note," she continued in a lighter voice, "I was thinking about adopting you. Would you like that?"

"Then you'd be my Mum?" Harry asked, excitedly.

"Yes, son," Rose replied, smiling. "I already am your mum if that's what you want, but it would be official then."

"I'd like that," Harry blurted out, feeling very happy at the idea.

Rose stood from the spot on the edge of Harry's bed and excused herself for a moment to fetch the adoption parchments and a quill. "You only need to decide if you wish to leave your name at Harry Potter or if you want to change it to Harry Evans and then sign here," she told the boy, who sat up, put on his glasses and readily put his new name as well as his signature at the indicated spots.

The parchment rolled itself up and vanished into thin air.

"Later we'll get the confirmation from the ministry," Rose said, smiling. "Now you're really my son."

"Thank you... Mum," Harry replied, grinning. "May I get up now?"

"Yes you may," Rose agreed. "Are you feeling up to inviting Severus and tell him about your suggestion? It doesn't have to be today though. It's Christmas day."

Rolling his eyes in annoyance, Harry said, "Of course. He's Father Christmas' gift to you anyway. Invite him right away. I'll be downstairs in ten minutes." In a smaller voice, he added, "If you're sure that I won't be in your way."

"Harry!" Rose blurted out in shock, reaching out to pull the boy into a hug. "Harry, never ever say let alone think that again. You'll never ever be in my or our way. You belong to me now."

"All right," Harry mumbled, trying to free himself from the embrace.

HP

By the time Harry entered the living room, Professor Snape had just arrived and was placing two presents under the Christmas tree.

"Good morning, Professor," Harry spoke up in a soft voice, causing the man to turn around and look at him.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter," he replied, equally friendly.

Harry smiled. "As of today, I'm not Harry Potter anymore, but Harry Evans," he explained, "but please feel free to just call me Harry."

The professor nodded. "Well, in private I'm Severus then."

Smiling at her two wizards, Rose threw in, "Severus, Harry has a suggestion to make."

Inwardly rolling his eyes upon feeling everyone look at him, Harry repeated his earlier idea to try out living together until New Year's day.

Severus looked at Rose, quirking an eyebrow in silent question.

"I think it's a fantastic idea," Rose voiced her opinion, and the adults decided to agree with Harry's plan.

"Tonight, I have to go to Hogwarts and attend Christmas dinner though," Severus said, darkly, "provided that you can't come up with a brilliant idea that would save me from it."

"Hmmm, that's difficult," Rose replied, chuckling. "Let me contact Harry's godmothers later on. Maybe they'll be able to help with that."

"Harry's godmothers?" Severus queried, raising an eyebrow at the boy.

"Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall," Harry offered.

"Ahhh," Severus replied in understanding and smirked. "With those two behind us, Professor Dumbledore won't have a chance."

"Exactly," Rose said, dryly. "And they'll surely understand the need for us to have a family Christmas today."

"If not, you could always accompany me to Hogwarts," Severus suggested, causing Rose to shake her head.

"Harry's still not well enough," she said, firmly. "Now would you like to have breakfast first or presents first?" she asked, giving Severus and Harry questioning looks.

Harry let out a long sigh. "I'm sorry, Mum, but I'd like to go and brew a potion first," he said in a small voice. "I didn't have time to make my present for you yet."

Rose sighed. "That's not important enough to aggravate your condition," she replied, firmly. "You can brew it when you feel better."

"I'm well enough," Harry replied, stubbornly, causing his new mother to roll her eyes in annoyance.

"Would it ease your mind if I accompanied Harry and assisted him?" Severus suggested in clear amusement, causing Rose to give up and agree.

HP

_'How strange,'_ Harry mused, while he busied himself brewing chocolate drops with small pieces of sweet fruit and bitter herbs inside. _'If anyone would have told me that Snape was going to spend Christmas day with us assisting me to make mum's present, I'd have thought that they were delirious. But he's actually really nice, and it's fun to brew together.'_

"Well done," Severus commended him, when the potion was finished, and with a flick of his wand transferred the liquid into the respective moulds, before he magically cleaned the workspace.

"Thank you sir," Harry replied, gratefully, as he - as usual - had left his wand in his bedroom and was not feeling well enough to cast wandless magic.

"In fact, I'd like to speak with you about something," the professor continued to speak and pulled a parchment out of his robe pocket, holding it out to Harry.

Harry stared at the parchment, trying to figure out what it was.

"It's the contract that would make you my student assistant," Severus explained, "provided that you want it." Seeing Harry look at him with a combination of surprise and interest, he explained, "As my student assistant, you'd assist me with potions for the hospital wing, whereby assist means either assist or brew, or in special cases, you might be asked to teach one or the other class on my behalf. As compensation you'd receive certain privileges, about which we'd have to discuss with the headmaster. You don't have to decide this now though."

Harry cast the professor a genuine smile. "If you deem me able to fulfil the position, I'd love to become your student assistant, sir," he replied, happily.

HP

Back in the living room, he immediately signed the parchment, which like the adoption parchment rolled up itself and vanished from the spot, however, in two different directions - one copy going to the Ministry of Magic, the other to the headmaster's office at Hogwarts.

In the meantime, Rose had written a letter to Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall asking them to explain to the headmaster that his Potions Master was stuck with her and Harry that evening and would unfortunately be unable to attend Christmas dinner at Hogwarts.

It was a few hours later that Blizzard returned carrying a colourful Christmas card in his beak. As soon as Harry opened the card, it began to sing in the voices of his godmothers "We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year." Just when Harry thought it was finished, Poppy said, "Congratulations, Rose, Severus and Harry. We're very happy for you, and we wish you wonderful winter holidays together." Finally, Minerva added, "And of course, Severus, you'll be excused from Christmas dinner no matter what Albus says."

_'I just love Christmas,'_ Harry thought, when he was lying in his bed late in the evening, listening to the voices coming from the living room that felt very comforting. _'Father Christmas' gifts are the best. Now I have a real family with two parents. I'm the happiest boy in the world. Thank you Father Christmas.'_

**The End**

**Happy Christmas!**


End file.
